Captain Benson
by scubysnak
Summary: SEQUEL to A FLIRTATION WITH FIRE She left nearly 2 yrs ago when Alex couldn't commit to their relationship. Only Elliot knew where she was. Now a captain in a PD in Philadelphia, how will Alex strolling back into her life affect her? AO, AOC. Ch 3 up
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'em…if I did, the first thing that Cabot would have done was call Liv when she became a Bureau Chief.

"Counselor, so glad you could join us," Captain Craigen said as he held the door open for Alexandra Cabot to enter his office.

The normally dressed to the nines ADA was wearing jeans and a NYPD sweatshirt. Appearing out in public dressed as casually as she was now was a habit she had adopted in the weeks following Olivia's voluntary disappearance. As she always had, the stately blonde breezed into the captain's office. "Well, you did say it was important. Though I can't imagine what warrants dragging me out of bed this early on a Saturday. You better have something good."

"Oh, we do," John Munch interjected. "It seems some lowly detective in some podunk town in eastern Pennsylvania was bored and started flipping through the reports on the wire. He came across ours and thinks it's pretty similar to a recent case they caught."

"Similar in what respect?" Cabot pressed.

"From what I could gather from the detective I spoke with, the MO was the same. The ligature marks, the positioning of the body and the word _tortillera_ written on the wall above the body are all similar to what they have in…what was the name of that town, Munch?" Cragen asked.

"Thornier. Thornier, PA, Cap'n," John responded. "I've never heard of the place. Had a helluva time even finding it on a map. If we're talking one light towns, then we're most likely talking about this place," John laughed at his own joke.

Turning to Craigen, Alex spoke again. "I'll accompany one of your people to Thornier. Have you spoken to their Captain yet?"

Craigen motioned for his detectives to leave the room and for their ADA to have a seat.

"Once again, have you spoken to their captain?"

He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a single tumbler and bottle of scotch. He filled the tumbler half full of the amber liquid and then slid it across the desk toward Alex as he placed the bottle back in his desk.

"You still haven't heard from her, have you?" the tone in his voice now echoed that of a father talking to his child.

"I don't see what this has…"

"Just answer the question, Al. Have you spoken to her since she left?"

She swirled the liquid around the glass before taking a brief sip and placing the tumbler back on his desk. "No, I haven't. I've…I haven't been able to bring myself to look for her. That box…everything that was in it…the letter she wrote…it was her ending things. I had to respect that. I didn't like it. Hell, Don, I still don't like it," she stood and walked over to one of the windows that looked out into the squad room. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and wish that I had done things differently. One word. All I had to do was say one word and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. She'd still be here and I…" she reached up and wiped at her eyes before turning back to him. "Why bring this up now?"

Don sighed heavily and stood up. "Alex, Olivia is the captain in Philadelphia."

She paled as what Don said registered with her. "How long have you known?" Alex was famous for venomous oratory in the courtroom, and Don was not looking forward to having it directed at him.

"Hold on, Alex. I just found out. When the detective contacted us, I asked to speak directly with the captain. He told me that Captain Benson would be in later this morning."

"So you're not sure that it's Liv. It could be anyone with that last name."

"It's her," Elliot confirmed. "Liv is the captain there. Has been for the last seven months."

Alex took three quick steps closer to him and stared deeply into his eyes. She drew back her hand and slapped him hard across the cheek. He didn't sway or move at all.

"ALEX!" Craigen called after her.

"It's alright, Cap'n. Luckily she doesn't hit as hard as some of the perps we deal with," Elliot turned his attention back to Alex. "She didn't want you to know where she was. I had to respect that."

Tears began to sting at her eyes, but she refused to let them cascade over her alabaster skin. "How long? How long have you known where she was?"

Stabler took her by the elbow and led her back to the chair she had been in before.

"She contacted me a few days after she left. Look, you hurt her, Al. She wanted nothing to do with you or anything that could remind her of you. There's something else you need to know." He perched on the edge of the desk and took a few deep breaths.

"What else could there possibly that I need to know? I think being blindsided with the news that you've known where she's been all this time is more than enough right now. What are you going to tell me? She's married? Pregnant? What more could there possibly be for me to know?" Alex snorted.

Stabler rubbed his eyes and didn't answer.

Alex took his silence for confirmation and quickly stood up again, "So, she's moved on? Good for her. So have I."

Craigen stepped from behind his desk and moved to Alex's side. "I think we all know that our Liv is not pregnant and definitely not married."

"Then what is it? What is there that I need to know?"

"Alex, she is involved with someone."

"Oh. Okay," she suddenly looked lost and disoriented. "I'll have someone from my office make arrangements for one of you to accompany me to Thornier so we can assess whether the same person committed these crimes."

"Counselor, are you sure it's a good idea for you to go there?" Don Craigen asked as gently as possible.

"Are you insinuating that I can't separate my personal life from my professional life, Captain?" she whirled around and grabbed her bag from beside the chair she had been sitting in. "You worry about sending your best detective," she glared icily in Stabler's direction, "and let me worry about myself."

With that, she turned on her heels and marched out of the office.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'em…if I did, the first thing that Cabot would have done was call Liv when she became a Bureau Chief.

**Thornier, PA**

A young, blonde detective knocked on the frame around the door to his boss's office. "Captain?"

"Come in," she said without even looking up from her desk.

"I was on point last night and was really bored. I started going through the papers from the wire and came across this one from New York," he said as he extended the paper toward his captain. "I took the liberty of contacting them."

She dropped the paper on her desk. "You what?"

He was smiling from ear to ear, thinking he had finally done something right that might impress his captain. "I contacted them—Manhattan SVU. I spoke to a Detective John Munch—really weird guy. I get the impression he's not playing with a full deck. Anyway, their Cap called a half hour later and wanted to talk to you. A Captain…"

"Craigen. Donald Craigen," Liv said flatly.

"Yeah, that's right. How'd ya know that?" He didn't wait for a reply before he continued. "So, they're sending one of their detectives down here. They wanna check out our scene for themselves. Anyway, I thought I'd just let you know that they'll be here in a few hours."

He turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him, unaware of the conflicting emotions tumbling around inside of his superior officer.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of her office door opening.

Anger reflected in her voice she stood as she spoke, "How many times do I have to tell you to…oh hey, babe." Olivia's anger diminished as she moved from behind her desk and ensconced the lithe redhead in a tight hug before kissing her chastely on the cheek.

"Mmm," the woman in Liv's arms purred as she snaked her arms around the former detective turned captain. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by."

Liv nuzzled the neck of the woman in her arms. "You know I don't mind, Scout. But why aren't you in school?"

The object of Liv's affection pulled back and a full-blown pout crossed her face. "Do you ever pay attention to me when I'm talking?" She turned away from Liv and moved behind her desk, sinking into her oversized desk chair. "Seriously Liv, it never fails that I tell you about these things and you conveniently forget."

Liv sat down in a chair opposite her desk and started rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry. I know I should pay more attention. I've just been…."

"…busy. I know. You're always busy," she leaned forward on the desk. "Maybe we don't need to do this now. You're so busy and I know I don't want to do this alone," she laughed scornfully. "I can't do this alone."

Liv sprang to her feet. "What are you saying? I thought we had decided that we wanted this. That we were going to start trying?"

"Olivia, we did decide that. But with the hours you're keeping and how little time we spend together lately, I just don't think it's the right time. Maybe we need to let you settle into this position a little bit longer and then try."

Liv stood and studied her lover intently, weighing carefully what she had just said. Keeping her eyes locked on those of the redhead, she moved slowly, crossing behind the desk and taking her hands in her own, pulling her to her feet.

Once she had her on her feet, she twirled her around and pulled her back against her, wrapping her arms around her and leaving them to rest on her stomach.

No words were spoken for several minutes as the two women stood there. Olivia was the first to break the silence. "You are an amazing woman. Your students love you. Your friends love you. I love you," Liv kissed the soft spot beneath her ear. "You're still going to go to the doctor today—which is why you are not at work right now. And yes, I'm busy. It's the nature of my job. I'll always be busy—but not too busy for us. Okay?"

Before the woman in her arms could reply, there was a knock at her door. She released the woman in her arms and turned around to face the door.

"Yeah," she shouted to the unwanted intruder.

The door opened cautiously. "Sorry Captain, but those people from New York are here. Want me to send them in?"

Liv looked like a deer caught in headlights. She just stood there, frozen.

"Captain?"

"Liv?"

"Give me a few," she said to the detective before turning back to her girlfriend. "Call me and let me know how the appointment goes?" She kissed her on the forehead before leading her to the door.

The redhead quickly turned around and kissed Olivia on the lips before saying, "I'll call you once I'm done at the doctor's office, baby."

It was only when the teacher had made her way out of the squad room and Olivia turned to where the detective from New York—her former unit—was seated that she saw he was not alone. There, seated beside Elliot Stabler, was the former object of Olivia Benson's affections. For the first time in nearly two years, their eyes met.

In that instant, every decision she had made in the last two years was questioned. Every "I love you" that had been uttered to another seemed like a lie. Every promise she had made was a disappointment waiting in the wings.

Alexandra Cabot had once been her undoing and would be so again if given the smallest opportunity.

Olivia silently wondered how she could avoid upsetting the life she was starting to build.

While she was inwardly cringing, she opened her door wider and said, "Detective, Counselor, welcome to Philly. Why don't you join me in my office and we'll discuss the case?"

When Elliot got close enough, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She reciprocated, enfolding the detective in a similar fashion. Alex merely rolled her eyes as she stepped past the two of them and entered Olivia's office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em…**

Liv's cool demeanor belied how she was really feeling. Merely seeing Alex again sent a flood of emotions cascading through her.

When it had first been revealed that someone from the Manhattan SVU would be coming to visit, she hadn't for one instant expected their ADA to accompany whatever detective made the trip. And now, in her office, sat the one time possessor her heart.

She watched the ADA select the seat farthest from her desk and sit down. The last two years had not been as kind to Alex Cabot has they had been to Liv. She appeared dangerously thin, prompting Liv to silently ponder whether or not Alex had re-adopted her former practice of binging and purging. Her gait had not been that of the self-possessed and self-assured woman she had once known intimately. Although she had held their gaze only briefly upon their first meeting outside her office, she saw that they had lost the luster they once had. Liv gathered that the Alex sitting before her now was a mere shell of the woman she once knew.

Alex pretended not to notice Liv. Other than the not so subtle eye-rolling that Olivia had been on the receiving end of as she entered her office, the ADA hadn't so much as even acknowledged her.

"How are Kathy and the kids?" Liv asked Elliott as she walked around behind her desk and he took a seat near her desk.

"They're…" he reply was cut short.

"I hate to be a party-pooper, but if you two would like to chit-chat, could you do that on your own time?" She took her glasses off and lowered her gaze on Olivia. "Could we have a look at the file on your case that your detective thought was similar to our own?"

Both Liv and Elliott's mouths were agape, staring at Alex. Finally, Olivia broke the silence, "You're right, Counselor. I don't want to waste any of _your_ precious time. If you'll excuse me, I'll bring in the lead detective on the case. He can brief you on the case and can accompany you to the scene so that you can see it first-hand."

"You won't be going with us?" Elliot asked as Captain Benson stood up.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the photo of her and Scout. She thought back to concerns Scout voiced only moments earlier over moving ahead and creating a family. Decision made, she spoke, "No, my detectives can handle this. I have an appointment with Scout that I really should keep. I'll be back in a couple of hours though, if you two have any more questions."

Alex cooly slid her glasses to the tip of her nose and looked over the top of them, "You mean to tell me you're blowing off working hand-in-hand with the Manhattan ADA and SVU detective to take your dog to the vet? Your priorities certainly have changed in the last couple of years."

Before Liv could respond, Elliot rose to his feet and quickly explained that he needed to find a restroom. Once he was out of the room, Liv flipped the picture around on her desk.

"This is Scout."

Alex leaned forward in her seat and stared at the photo of Liv and the redhead. "But that's…"

"…my girlfriend. Her name is Scout," Liv said as she started to turn the photo back around.

Alex reached out and took it from her, studying the two women in the picture. "What kind of name is Scout? Sounds like she should be on a leash and chasing balls in the park with a name like that."

Olivia laughed a throaty laugh. "For someone so educated, I'd have expected you to know where her name comes from. Her mother was a high school English teacher and her favorite book was _To Kill A Mockingbird_," Liv watched as Alex rolled her eyes, but she continued. "Her mother named her Jean Louise, after the main character. But everyone calls her Scout."

"Lovely story. Really it is. I'm sure you thrill people at cocktail parties with that little anecdote about her name." She looked down at the photo in her hand and locked eyes with Olivia as she sat it back on her desk. "With the way you work and your personality, a dog would have been better."

Alex stood and started pacing. Olivia just watched her. She smiled as she remembered how, after an especially difficult and trying court case, Alex would pace back and forth, wearing nothing but her glasses as she worked out her summation. It was only a matter of time before she'd actually start saying whatever was on her mind. Olivia was certain she already knew the gist of the diatribe that Alex was going to lay on her. Olivia sat back in her chair, crossed her legs, and interlaced her fingers.

Suddenly, Alex whirled and took two steps toward her and held her gaze. "You left. You left me. Two years ago. Two years. Two years of wondering where you were. Two years of wondering what you were doing. Two years of wondering."

In one swift movement, Liv uncrossed her legs and stood up. "I left you a letter that explained everything. I know Don gave it to you." She turned her back to Alex and walked toward the door, shutting it tightly before closing the blinds to her office. "And we both know that you knew where I was and what I was doing."

"I knew vaguely where you were. But I never contacted you. I tried to respect your wishes," she bit her lip and thought for a moment. "We…"

"There's no 'we,' Alex. I gave you a choice and you refused to choose me. Despite everything that had happened, I was willing to give us another chance and you weren't. So I moved on. I've moved on. Haven't you, Al?"

Alex broke eye contact and turned her back to Liv.

Liv quietly walked up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. Alex turned around to meet Liv's gaze. Liv reached down and took Alex's hand in her own, causing Alex's breath to hitch.

Liv flipped Alex's hand over and looked at the knuckles on the back of her hand. It dawned on Al why Olivia was looking at the back of her and she attempted to jerk her hand back. Liv held it tightly and finally looked up into Alex's eyes.

"Back to old habits again? I thought you were beyond this, Al. Why are you doing this to yourself? I mean, have you looked at yourself lately? You're paper thin. You're…"

"…none of your concern anymore, remember? You've moved on now. I see that. And obviously Elliot knew, but I didn't. And that's fine," Alex yanked her hand back from Liv's grasp. "You have an appointment with your vet about Scout. You should get going. Elliot and I will work with your detectives so that you can deal with your _personal_ life."

"Al, don't be like that. We should be able to be friends, to deal with this like decent people," Olivia attempted.

"Oh please. We ceased to be friends when you were too much of a coward to tell me face to face that you were skipping town," Alex stated icily. "Now, if you'll kindly send in your detectives on this case and let Elliot know that he can come in as well, we can hurry this along."

"Sure," the captain said as she opened her office door and motioned for her detectives and Elliot to come in.

"One more quick thing. Out of curiosity, what are you taking Scout to the vet for? Worms?"

Liv glared at her and weighed not answering. The bitch in her defeated the part of her that didn't want to add insult to injury for Alex.

"Okay, guys. I have to go and see a man about some sperm," she said with a wink as she left her detectives and visitors in her office.


End file.
